Asus ZenFone 3 and Deluxe Version, To Be Announced on May 30, 2016

Asus ZenFone 2 is a TechPinas Badge of Excellence Awardee. And it also happened to be one of my favorite daily smartphones from 2015. So I can't wait to see how the Taiwanese electronics giant has improved and upgraded their flagship smartphone line to make it even more enticing to consumers this year.

On May 30 at Computex 2016, which will be held in Taipei - the home of Asus, the purported follow-up to the best-selling ZenFone 2 is expected to be formally unveiled.

In terms of design, rumors have it that the Asus ZenFone 3 as well as its more powerful Deluxe version will look very different from their predecessors. In fact, various sources claim that the 2016 flagship ZenFone models will don a design language that's highly reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Xiaomi Mi5 -- that is, they're going to have a real metal mid-frame and a glass flat back panel in lieu of the curved polycarbonate rear of the ZenFone 2. Personally, I'm also expecting to see a home button replete with fingerprint scanner on this year's top-of-the-line smartphones from Asus.

Other rumored features and specs include a 2.5D curved scratch-resistant glass touchscreen, new Intel processor, USB Type-C charge and data sync port, Dual Tone LED flash for the main camera, and front-facing Soft LED flash for selfies. I know. As of writing, official information about these new devices is still very limited. Great job at keeping things under wraps, Asus!

A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation from our friends at Asus Philippines to join them in Taiwan on May 30 to see their exhibit at Computex as well as to witness the launch of their latest devices. They didn't mention the exact models that will be introduced at the event but considering their product timeline for the past two years, I instantly knew that it's going to be their next flagship handsets. So stay tuned for updates, TP Friends. I'll do my best to bring the event to you via new TP posts and social media updates on that day.